Three Yellow Feathers

Creativity and Slowing Down

                    
It is official. My life has been way-laid for the past several weeks. I have heard myself describing life’s current pace as “scrambling” and “being sucked into a vortex”. Wow. How does that happen?

During these churning times I find it much more difficult to discern what truly is important and what really doesn’t matter. It seems the lack of mindfully choosing what I include and what I exclude in my life is a large part of what continues to fuel the chaos. The thought of trying to find time for my photography or anything else creative seems all but impossible. When I can finally STOP, my life and my priorities come back into focus noticeably more clearly.

This blurring of priorities reminds me of the experience of watching the world zizz by while traveling on a fast moving train. Who is driving this train, anyway? Sometimes I think I am. At other times, it is as if no one is at the controls. No wonder my life sometimes feels like a run away train with me not seeming to be able to find the brake.

I do believe the choices I make TODAY help to adjust the pace of my life. Some days the choices are pretty clear and more strucured. Other days, it seems like the wisest thing to do is to just fasten my seatbelt and hang on for the ride. 

Today I am in Santa Fe. It feels as if the train has pulled into the station and stopped for refueling. This seems like a good day to make some conscious decisions about what I will choose to do today. Because I am still taking at least one photograph each day and I do still recognize the opportunities of everyday creativity, Creativity has not left my life completely. I do, however. feel that I have neglected my dear friend. Hello, Creativity. Would you care to join me for a cup of tea?            

                                                                       

• Today I will STOP and look around and notice what my senses are offering me.
• Today I will BREATHE. I will do some Tai Chi Breathing (Chi Kung). My mother introduced me to this and she is right. It it is wonderful stuff.   

                                          

                                

•  Today I will YAWN. I may take a nap or I may simply read something light and fun for a little  while.

                                                                         

• Today I will read more of Marney Makridakis’s book, Creating Time: Using Creativity to  Reinvent the Clock and Reclaim Your Life. She offers an amazing perspective of time and its  passing.

                                                               

•  Today I will SIT and ENJOY a cup of naturally decaffeinated Earl Grey tea.

                      

• Today I will GO for a WALK with my husband, our dogs and my new camera.
• Today I will LISTEN to MUSIC. I think I will start with Chopin's Nocturnes.
• Today I will WALK more SLOWLY.

                                                           

• Today I will ALLOW myself chances to truly LOOK and SEE what brings joy to my heart.
• Today I will EMBRACE my life with GRATITUDE.

Do you know what? I feel better already.

What helps you slow down and re-set your life’s pace?

What are your tools for deciding what is important and what just doesn’t matter?

Creating a Vacation within a Vacation

 

                                                      


Winter months in Santa Fe are wonderful.  Actually any month in Santa Fe is wonderful as far as I can see.

During our trip to Santa Fe this month we decided to play like we were snowed in for a day. I am so lucky to have a husband who will play along with me when I come up with my wacky ideas. 

The idea was to create a vacation within a vacation. It was wonderful.

There was just enough fresh snow to be convincing when looking out of the window.

                                 

The crackling sounds of the pinion and cedar logs in the fireplace were hypnotizing.

When stepping outside for more firewood, there was also just enough of a cold, crispness to the air to know snow could be a reality.

Outside, the aroma of the burning pine and cedar was intoxicating.

                                             

We each found our snuggled-in spot and just let time pass.

There was nowhere we had to be and nothing we had to be doing.

We carved out time and space to just be here.

Have I told you yet? It was wonderful.

I sat in the living room, watching the flames in the fireplace as if in a trance. From time to time, I looked out of the window to enjoy the beauty of the snow.

                      

While sitting still, I saw a variety of birds, a bunny and a long-tailed weasel, all digging in the soft earth. I would not have even known they were there had I not been sitting still and allowing myself time to simply see what was there.

I am so good at filling up my life that I rarely let it empty out.

I plan to encourage myself to do this again, soon and often. Next time, I think I will allow myself to have a Blue Sky Day and see what delights I find in that.

                                               

Celebrating Life through Everyday Creativity

With a grateful heart, I am looking forward to the New Year. In 2012, I was able to begin to weave the notion of creativity into my everyday life and truly believe it has enriched my life. My “360” photography project in which I took a photograph every day with my cell phone or camera was a pleasure. There was no pressure to create a Fine Art Image. It was just an opportunity to stop, look and create a memory. Because it was a no-big-deal project, I was able to participate most days. It felt good to be giving myself encouragement each time I took a “360” photograph.

       

For 2013, I have decided to continue to acknowledge my creative efforts and enjoyment in even more areas of my life. Of course, I will continue to see the world through the lens of my camera. I will also watch for opportunities in other aspects of my life in which to share and celebrate my creative spirit, energy, effort and enjoyment.

January 1, 2013 will be a great way to start my Everyday Project. For the past 35 years, my husband and I have shared a New Year’s Day Feast with 6 wonderful friends. It is an annual event we each anticipate with excitement. The chances for celebrating creativity are everywhere before, during and even after the feast. During the clean-up, I love remembering the feast food or the board game we played or the laughter and the chance to celebrate being together again.

This year, the table will be set with dishes and recipes we have collected throughout the year. Last month at the Santa Fe Clay Fair we visited with a husband and wife duo who create amazing bowls together. He does the clay work and she does the glazing. We purchased 8 of these bowls in which we plan to serve Tagliatelle in White Truffle Oil and Butter Sauce. This is a recipe we fashioned after the amazing pasta dish we discovered during a trip to Italy.

                
              These are photographs of our New Year's Day Feast 2012

The table is set.

The menu is printed.

Now on we go to the preparing and sharing of our past year’s collection of dishes, recipes and delight with these dear friends.

 In 2013, my idea is to celebrate Everyday Creativity every day. Once again, this is a no-big-deal project. It is a get-to not a have-to project. I simply plan to allow and cultivate creativity into my world each day of 2013. I will celebrate a creative solution to a problem, the creation of a new form for my office, preparing a recipe a new way, or even taking a jazz CD to my parent’s house to hopefully help create some joy in their day.

I expect I have already been enjoying everyday creativity more than I realize. How much fun it will be to open my mind and my eyes to familiar and fresh opportunities of everyday creativity.

I love the immediate feedback and reinforcement of checking in with my creative self pretty much every day. Some people prefer to review their creative life every week or every month. If you care to come along on this project, just do what works for you to join in the fun and make your 2013 a Happy New Year.

Creating from Lots of Spots

The sunlight in Santa Fe has changed. It has changed a lot.

The hues have changed from shades of gold to blues and grays. The angle is much lower than even a month ago.

While noticing those changes a few days ago, I began to wonder how it would be to change spots for doing different things.

                                     

This morning I began my experiment. First I sat in the living room to journal. Our dogs joined me in the early morning sunshine.

                                     
Next I journeyed to my study and rested on the daybed while I read Notes on the Need for Beauty by J. Ruth Gendler. She writes, ”Beauty breaks us open and connects us to the hearts of others, the soul of the world, deepens our connections with the places we live and dream about, the people we love, animals and plants, trees and rivers. Beauty opens the door to creativity and wisdom.” That really resonated with me.

                         

Later in the morning, my husband and I painted on the fabric pillows we are creating together. I knew he was enjoying the project when I heard him singing “The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald” written many years ago by Gordon Lightfoot. I am not quite sure why he selected that particular song but he sang the entire song, stanza by stanza. That made my heart sing.

                                                    
This afternoon I had some continuing education quizzes to take. The recliner seemed like a great spot for relaxing yet concentrating on what I was doing.

               

Later in the afternoon I started a fire in the outside fireplace and enjoyed looking at magazines while smelling the aroma of the pinion pine burning and listened to the crackling of the logs. The dogs seemed to have enjoyed it as well.

                                                    
This evening, I looked through more magazines (I have subscriptions to lots and lots of magazines) while sitting watching television.

                                                     
Before going to bed, I plan to read Julia Child's new biography, Dearie, on the Book Nook friends gave me for my birthday.

                                        
But before I go to bed, I am sitting at my desk creating this blog to share with you.

I had such an enjoyable, relaxed and productive day, I think I will add changing spots for different projects to my way of doing things.

What are your favorite spots?

Do you have favorite spots for different projects?

Do you enjoy different spots at different time of the year?

How about looking around your house for some additional spots to enjoy?

Stopping to Use Our Good Senses

                                                         

While in Santa Fe, New Mexico this month, I have been delighted to allow, even encourage, myself to stop and pay attention to what amazing sensual experiences there are here in the fall.

Life in Santa Fe in the fall includes

                                            

         The SMELL of the pinion pine burning in the fireplaces

                                       

         The TASTES of Green Chili Stew and Fresh Apple Pie

                                                           

         The FEEL of the crispness in the cool mountain air and the white cloud-soft, snuggly blanket

                                                            

         The SOUND of my Corinthian Wind Chime tuned to the Key of D-sharp dancing in the northern breeze.

                                      

     

         The SIGHT of the golden angle of the light intensifying the blue in the cloudless sky along with the yellows and reds and oranges in the leaves just before they fall.

 This has been a time to snuggle in, breathe, relax, and just be, allowing life to be slower, richer and easier.

I can feel my creative energy being refreshed and inspired by the richness of the world around me.

My husband and I have even started a creative project together inspired by a walk through the Santa Fe project. I’ll probably be telling you more about that next time.

                                            

 

What memories of sights, sounds, tastes, smells and touch remind you of fall? Can you feel a shifting of energy when you stop and really pay attention to what these represent to you?

Creativity and Transition

I had every intention for the topic of this blog to be "Creativity and Happiness.” That is before life stepped in and pointed me in what seemed like a totally different direction. I guess it really depends on how you look at life and how you define happiness.

Life entered into the equation with a 5 A.M. Friday morning phone call informing me that my 87-year old father was being taken by ambulance to the Emergency Department 3½ hours away (if you go the speed limit). I won’t go into the medical details, but it sounded awful.

I jumped into the shower, threw a few things in the back of my car, kissed my husband, hugged our dogs and drove into the darkness.

Dad was admitted to CCU where his inventive/mathematical mind went into overdrive. During his next 72 sleepless hours, he created processes of analyzing urine for known and unknown substances. His plans included the necessary steps needed to manufacture the required plastic pipes. He originated new methods for investing in the stock market, some of them he admitted were “more legal” than others.

Since Dad is a mathematician, early one morning I had the idea of counting very slowly and calmly from 100 to 0 to see if that would help him drift to sleep. His eyes gently began to close and his breathing slowed as I reached 10. (My exhausted brother said he fell asleep at 93.) I continued the countdown until I reached zero. Not yet satisfied that Dad was really asleep, I started counting down again from 20. Dad opened his eyes, looked at me and told me, “Now don’t get greedy.” After that, we were all awake again.

After three long days and nights, sharing shifts with family members in CCU, Dad was moved to a General Medical Bed. Two days later, weak and exhausted, he was discharged to home.

I tell you all of this to set the stage for what came next.  

My parents have been married for 64 years. They have lived in the same town in which they raised their three children for 62 of those 64 years. They have lived in their current home for the past 35 years.

We have admired, respected and supported our parents’ independence. However, after these events, it had become clear that is was now time to invite our parents to come, at least for a few months, to the town where we all live. Though we had been talking about this in theory for a while, making this decision was tough for them. "How do we leave our lives as we have known them for 62 years?" "What are we going to do?" "Where are we going to live?" We reassured them that we would be right there to help.

After deep consideration, they agreed to accept our invitation.

I stayed with my parents to attend to medical and personal details and to help pack their necessities. My sister and brother returned home as “Boots on the Ground” to make arrangements for our parents’ arrival.

Between Friday morning’s admission to CCU and the following Wednesday afternoon, my 80-something year old parents had accepted the idea of beginning their next great adventure together in a different town. They were packed and on their way to see the house my sister and brother had found for them to consider leasing. As my mother said, ”We are both walking into this new chapter with smiles on our faces.”

 I have never been more proud of my sister and brother for sharing their energy, ideas and love.

I have never been more proud of my parents and their spirit of adaptation and adventure.

We are neither saints nor martyrs. The members of my family are creative problem-solvers, each offering what they can to the team.

As this adventure of creating the next chapter in their lives unfolds, I will keep you posted as to the goings-on of these eighty-something adventurers.

It looks like I did end up writing about Creativity and Happiness after all. I feel so grateful that I have parents from whom I can still learn and am so happy to have them closer. 

If You Need Me, I'm at the Beach

                                                   


Tracing the thread of creativity from one thought to the next can be an interesting study of the human mind and the creative process. As we all know, the creative process doesn’t always proceed as originally planned.

I had an idea that began with the purchase of a 30-pound seashell wind chime while on Key West at the beginning of our Mayan Mystery Cruise in February. I wasn’t at all sure what I was going to do with these treasures from the sea. I only knew I really wanted this particular wind chime so we purchased it and shipped it home.

After 2 months of walking past it every morning and seeing it lying across a chair in our sunroom, I decided one breezy Monday morning that this was the day I would find the wind chime its new home.  I picked up the almost 5-foot long, 30-pound string of musical seashells by the hanging loop and walked toward the garden.  I smiled as I heard the musical sounds the shells made as I walked. My delight was interrupted when a gust of wind caused the shells to start rattling into each other quite loudly. I realized those delicate seashells were going to be blown to bits when “the wind came sweeping down the plains”. My first plan was flawed.

I brought the wind chime back inside and laid it across its chair. Shucks. Now where am I going to hang it?

I turned on the sunroom ceiling fan and sat down to think this through. Noticing the gentle breeze stirred by the fan, I thought, “Gentle Breeze. Sunroom. Why not hang the wind chime in here?”

Since it is too hot in the summer to sit in the sunroom and there are not many plants that like that much sun and heat either, I decided I could put some of the seashells I have collected over the years on the shelf and move the plants to a shadier spot.

After doing so, I sat down in one of the chairs to enjoy my shells.

With the gentle breeze and the seashells, I closed my eyes and imagined myself on the beach. It didn’t really work because even with my eyes closed the sunshine was too bright to enjoy my image of the beach. What I really needed was some shade.

Hum. Shade. I could buy a sun umbrella and maybe get some beach chairs and, I stopped mid-thought. This was starting to sound expensive.

Rather than spend a lot of money, I challenged myself to create my beach with what I already had. 

                                       


In the back corner of my closet I found flippers, a snorkel and goggles I hadn’t used in years. I added sandals from Hilton Head, a sunhat, sunglasses I found beach combing and lots more seashells. My “Don’t Piss Off The Fairies” sign seemed to belong, as did my “Breathe Because You Are Alive” reminder. I printed and framed images that reminded me of the beach and the ocean.

                

After putting those items in place, I sat down to explore what to do next. I still needed shade. The umbrella made sense. For an umbrella stand I could take the glass top off of the large urn we bought in Italy. The umbrella would require some counter-weight inside the urn. Stones from the garden would work for that.

The wicker chairs needed different cushions and a foot-rest. A rug would be nice to define the space.

                           

After a quick trip to town to purchase the half-off cushions, umbrella and rug, the beach really began to feel like a beach.

I added two plants that seemed happy to be on my beach and the CD player to play the “Relaxation: Sounds of the Ocean Tide” CD.

                                           



                      
  I will admit that my husband was a little surprised when he came home and saw our two dogs and me lounging in our new beach room. He just smiled, shook his head a little bit and went to change clothes and put on some sunscreen.

Any suggestions for good summer “Beach Reads”? I plan on spending lots of time there.

                                          

                     

   

Creativity on the Move

During our recent move in Santa Fe, I decide to really try to keep a positive attitude.

I decided to look at the move as a creative challenge.

I told myself, "Creativity on the Move” would be a great idea for a blog.

The day before the packers showed up, we placed blue masking tape on all of the items that were to stay as well as items we would move ourselves. It is a good thing we did because these amazing men were PACKERS. If it wasn’t marked with blue, it went in a box, even if it was a toothbrush or a roll of tissue. They were great but it was hectic, especially when the real estate listing agent showed up mid-move with two potential buyers. I won’t fib to you. That was not one of my more creative, adaptive moments.

The dogs were so overwhelmed by the chaos, they ended up confining themselves to the top of the living room coffee table in an attempt to not end up bubble-wrapped and packed in a box overnight.

The day of the move I decided to move the dogs (and myself) out of the chaos. We went to the new house and unpacked what we had already taken there ourselves. That left my husband (sorry, Dear) to orchestrate the first part of the move. This apparently included taking out a large window in the master bedroom to be able to remove the king-sized bed and sofa. Further details are sketchy until the moving van arrived shortly after noon.

This is where my “Creativity on the Move” kicked into high gear.

There were four men unloading the moving van asking me, “Where does this go?” “Where do you want this?” “What do you want me do with this?”

Fortunately, I had been dreaming about the move every night for almost a month and had worked out most of the details in my head. I had worked out most of the details, not ALL of the details.

The furniture appeared ENORMOUS in the new space. These were very nice men and I wanted to minimize the trial-and-error approach of huge furniture placement.

I used my “Creativity on the Move” attitude and told them seveal times to “Just set it here for now” which allowed me time to visualize what in the world to do.

Fortunately, they went on to the next item to be unloaded, giving me a chance to direct traffic as it came through the front door.

As the dust began to settle, I asked them to move the living room furniture one more time then thanked them for all of their help. It had been an amazing day of creativity and decision-making.

That night I slept like a baby, settling in and encouraging positive energy into the new space.

 When the un-packers arrived the next morning, I decided to tell them, “Just use your good sense and good judgment and put things where you would want them to be.” Letting Go in the Creative Process can sometimes be a REALLY GOOD IDEA.

 Magically, as everyone unpacked, all of the bubble wrap and boxes disappeared. The spaces began taking on the look and feel I had imagined. We were left with a feeling of “I think we are going to like it here”. Even the dogs seemed to relax and look around at their new surroundings with a renewed calmness.

 

Though the move was not effortless by any means, the intention of making the move with the idea, energy and attitude of creativity made it doable and much more enjoyable.

Creativity, Friendship and Color

                                                               

 I hope the winter weather in your area is being shoveled aside by the energy and beauty of spring. How lovely the gardens are this year in Santa Fe is the main topic of conversation in the restaurants, grocery store and before yoga class.

By now you know how sacred silence and solitude are to me. I also sometimes delight in sharing creativity through friendship. Yesterday I spent some creativity time with a friend in Santa Fe photographing the lilacs and wisteria blossoms. The time was filled with laughter, sharing and expressions of awe of the beauty of the season.

                               

The day was a celebration for the senses. The reds looked like they were on fire in the sunlight. There were shades of green I don’t ever remember having seen. All of the shades of purple and pink I could ever imagine seemed to be everywhere.

                               

We enjoyed trying to describe the color of pink in the blossoms of a lovely fruit tree. I suggested cotton candy or bubble gum. She offered that the color was like already chewed bubble gum or maybe strawberry ice cream. She was right. The colors looked like the colors of strawberry ice cream. We laughed to learn we both always chose strawberry ice cream as a childhood treat.

                                

Our sense of smell was rewarded with the fragrances of the full blossoms of lilac and wisteria. It was so wonderful to stand still and be in the moment and be embraced by the soothing aromas. Taking a deep breath now I can recall the richness and sweetness of those fragrances. I think I just discovered another tool to help me to be in the now of the moment. All I need to do is to breathe and remember the soothing aromas of the lilacs and wisteria.

                                              

What a great day to share with a friend. There was no competition. Instead, we shared ideas about the angle and the light and the composition of our shots. There was no pressure to get a great shot or the best shot.

It was simply a delightful spring day filled with creativity, friendship and color. Thank you PZ.

 

Okay. So Go Ahead and Get Your Feet Wet

 

                                                       

Sunday morning is often a time of quiet reflection in our home. It is especially nice and quiet this morning after the past two days of tornadoes and storms in the area. Everything in the yard is wet and clean and mostly green.

While walking to get the Sunday morning newspaper, I saw a really strange, very tall mushroom growing in the ivy. I knew my husband would be excited about the strangeness of it and would know just what it was. I thought about taking a photograph of it for him but hesitated. “I’ll get my feet wet.”

My next thought was, “Okay. So go on and get your feet wet. It is not that big of a deal.”

When I showed him the image, he dropped his Sunday newspaper and went outside to see and measure it. He didn’t seem to hesitate at all about getting his feet wet. “Twenty-and-one-half inches. That is the tallest one I have ever seen.” He went immediately back inside to our library to research just how tall Shaggy Mane mushrooms can grow.

                                       
Since I already had my feet wet, I decided to check on my Constance Spry rose bush to see what damage the storms had done to it. Constance Spry only blooms once a year so it is a “splurge” in the garden. To my delight, the rose looked just fine. While I was there, I took a photograph I had planned to take this year of one of her blooms still wet after a rain.

On my way back through the wet grass, a hummingbird and I surprised each other. If hummingbirds could talk, or maybe if I only knew how to listen, I am sure this little guy would have an amazing story to tell about its journey through the past two days of storms, hail and tornadoes. The least I could do was to give it some fresh sugar water.       

By the time I hung the two hummingbird feeders I was no longer even thinking about my wet feet. Without this self-imposed restriction, I walked around our property clicking images of flowers I would not have photographed or perhaps would not even have seen if I hadn’t gotten my feet wet in the first place.

                

This morning has helped me wonder.

 How often do I limit the fullness and enjoyment of my life with self-imposed restrictions?

 What unnecessary barriers have I unthinkingly built that interfere with my creativity?